MARINE ENGINEERS' BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION (AFL-CIO)
         "On Watch in Peace and War Since 1875"

MEBA TELEX TIMES                          MAY 12, 2006

The Official Union Newsletter

NUMBER 19

In this issue...
MEBA to move into MM&P digs in JAX...Hurricane medals to be doled out on Maritime Day...Rooms getting scarce at CAA Reunion...Everything must go! In a news clearance, blue-light special we mark down our entire inventory of wholesale industry items. Discount the irregular, budget busting competition that tries to sell you a bill of goods. They're no big deal!  While supplies last, preferred customers can use the special MEBA coupon and take an extra 15% off all red tag maritime articles in stock. Never undersold, you can't put a price tag on the Telex Times!

MEBA/MM&P TO SHARE HALL IN JACKSONVILLE
As part of a more cooperative arrangement between the MEBA and the MM&P, the two unions are combining resources in Jacksonville and will share a Union hall beginning in June. Our hall located on 435 Clark Rd. will be folding up its tent and moving to 349 E. 20th Street in Jacksonville, the site of the MM&P union hall. 

The move will likely be completed on June 1st after the computers and phone service are installed. MEBA will maintain separate offices within the building but each union will share the main room for their respective membership meetings and job calls. The phone and fax numbers as well as e-mail addresses will remain the same. The new hall is located right off the expressway closer to downtown. There is plenty of parking available. Tom Suneson is our Representative in Jacksonville. Liz Pettit is MM&P's Representative there.

MEBA OFFICERS TO RECEIVE HURRICANE MEDALS AT MARITIME DAY CEREMONY
MEBA officers from a trio of Ready Reserve Force fleet vessels in line for honors will accept their medals from Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta on May 22, Maritime Day. The list of ceremony attendees from the (MEBA-crewed) Keystone-managed CAPE KENNEDY, CAPE KNOX and CAPE VINCENT is still being finalized. Ship representatives will accept the Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement for their actions during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at DOT Headquarters (400 Seventh St., S.W.) where it will be accompanied by a Maritime Day observance.

New this year, the format has been expanded to include a Mass at 10:30 a.m. in honor of Maritime Day. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick will celebrate the service at St. Dominic Church, 630 E Street, SW, a few steps away from DOT Headquarters.

At 11:45 a.m., the scene shifts to the Washington Navy Yard for the Propeller Club luncheon. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is the featured speaker. The wreath laying ceremony, overseen by the Military Sealift Command, takes place soon after at nearby Willard Park.  To find out what maritime day activities are happening in your area you can visit MarAd's website at www.marad.dot.gov .

TIME'S A-WASTIN' - GET YOUR CAA RESERVATION IN - NOW!!!
The principals at the Calhoon Alumni Association have indicated that available rooms for the big CAA Reunion in late June are being snapped up like hotcakes. If you plan to attend this seasonal blow-out you may be making an egregious miscalculation if you have not yet reserved a room for yourself. Act now!! Put in your reservation as soon as possible to ensure your inclusion in this first-rate fiesta of free-form fun. You can visit the CAA page accessed off the MEBA School's website at www.mebaschool.org to download the form you need. The Reunion takes place at the School from June 30th to July 2nd.

There are still spots left for golfers teeing off at the Friday tournament. The 9th CAA Golf Extravaganza is the first event in the weekend of  activities. There is a 1 p.m. shotgun start for the tournament that takes place at the Easton Club located at Oxford Rd. and Rte. 322 in Easton, MD. Prizes will be awarded to those who finish first, second and last, with honors also given to those claiming the 'closest to the pin' and 'longest  drive' competitions. It is a meager $125 per player which covers your greens fee, cart, drinks, goodie bag, buffet dinner, raffles, shirt and logo balls. You can reserve a spot in the tournament by contacting the CAA at caa@mebaschool.org. You can also visit the CAA page on the web at www.mebaschool.org for more details and to obtain an entry form.

The Reunion marks the 40th anniversary of operations at the MEBA School. Several classes of Calhoon graduates celebrating their 25th Anniversary (Groups 70A-73A) are also making a special effort to attend this summer.

The MEBA Merchant Marine Memorial Foundation is holding a raffle to enable continued upgrades to the beautiful new memorial at the School. 1st prize will be a weekend at the Manor House for ten people, 2nd prize is $500, and 3rd prize is $250. Tickets cost $5 each or five for $20. The drawing will be held on July 1st during the CAA Reunion. Please see your local Union Hall or the School for additional information.

SUPPORT THE MEBA MERCHANT MARINE MEMORIAL PARK!
The MEBA Merchant Marine Memorial Foundation will be placing the next order for memorial bricks on July 5th.  Anyone interested must complete and return a donations form and monies prior to this date.
 
For more information and to obtain the form please visit the following link: www.mebaschool.org/memorial?SESS=96986ed9337d90f199720a3b602942b5&time=11462  30221 or go to the homepage (www.mebaschool.org) and click on the Memorial logo at the bottom right of the page. You can also contact Jessica Milligan at (410) 822-9600 ext. 306 or email her at:  memorial@mebaschool.org.

AFL-CIO & CHANGE-TO-WIN COALITION WILL COORDINATE ELECTION YEAR EFFORTS 
AFL-CIO president John Sweeney and Change to Win chair Anna Burger have announced that they have reached a tentative agreement on a plan for coordinating member mobilization activity for the 2006 election year.
 
"The entire labor movement is united by the desire to make working people's issues the country's priority this election year, and we are taking all the necessary steps to effectively coordinate our efforts toward this end," said comments attributed to Sweeney and Burger.
 
The AFL-CIO and Change to Win will create a National Labor Coordinating Committee (NLCC) to be chaired by Gerald McEntee, AFL-CIO political  committee chair and president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and vice-chaired by Edgar Romney, secretary-treasurer of Change to Win and executive vice president of UNITE HERE.  Political directors and staff from the organizations will work in close collaboration on every aspect of the program, and the organizations  will share the costs of joint activities. As part of the agreement, Change to Win releases its affiliates to participate in state and local central  labor bodies, and AFL-CIO President Sweeney will recommend to the AFL-CIO Executive Council that the United Farm Workers be eligible to participate in state and local bodies. 

DHS ISSUES PROPOSALS FOR TWIC SYSTEM
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Coast Guard took another step toward implementing the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) by approving proposed regulations for a biometric-based identification credential for port workers. The notice, which will be published in the Federal Register, lays out specific details of the program.  The public will have forty-five days to comment and four public meetings will be hosted by TSA and Coast Guard to solicit public input.       

"TWIC is designed to ensure that individuals posing a security threat do not gain access to our nation's ports," Assistant Secretary Kip Hawley of TSA. "Today's proposed rulemaking represents a significant milestone towards putting TWIC on the fast track."

Also today, the Coast Guard approved a proposed regulation that works in conjunction with TWIC to streamline the current credentialing process for merchant mariners.

The publication of these two rulemakings follows an announcement last week by DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff that the Department will begin conducting name-based background checks on approximately 400,000 port workers within the United States.

The TWIC rule proposes the following:

. TSA would collect worker's biographic information including ten fingerprints; name; date of birth; address and phone number; alien registration number, if applicable; photo; employer; and job title.

. All individuals with unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities and vessels regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act would be required to have a TWIC. This includes longshoremen, port operator employees, truck drivers and rail workers. U.S. Merchant Mariners who hold an active Merchant Mariner's Document, Merchant Mariner's License, Certificate of Registry or an STCW Endorsement would also be required to obtain a TWIC.

. Background checks would include a review of criminal history records, terrorist watch lists, legal immigration status and outstanding wants and warrants.

. TWIC would utilize Smart Card technology and include a worker's photo, name, biometric information and multiple fraud protection measures. The card would be consistent with Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 and Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 201-1 requirements and would be interoperable with other federal credentials built to those standards.

. The program is expected to cover 750,000 workers and would be funded through user fees. TSA anticipates workers would pay approximately $139 to receive a TWIC. Workers with current, comparable background checks would pay approximately $105 for the credential. A TWIC card would be valid for five years.

. Port facility and vessel owners and operators would be required to implement TWIC into their existing access control systems and operations, purchase and utilize card readers, and update their approved security plans.

The Merchant Mariner Credential rule proposes the following:

. A new Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) would combine the elements of the Merchant Mariner's License, Merchant Mariner's Document, Certificate of Registry, and STCW Endorsement into one qualification credential.

. Although the format in which the mariner's qualifications and the application process itself would change, the training, experience and other requirements necessary to obtain a mariner's service qualifications would not change.

. Merchant mariners would no longer be required to visit a Regional Exam Center to submit fingerprints and identification or to take an oath when they obtain or renew their credentials, resulting in substantial time and travel savings.

. The MMC would appear in certificate form with many fraud protection measures. Although the actual format of the MMC is still in development, it is expected to look much like the recently released STCW Endorsement, as well as contain many of the security features used in that new certificate.

OLD SALT RECOUNTS SEAFARING LIFE IN THE '60s IN NEW BOOK
NMU member Cornelius "Buzz" Sawyer is sending old salts of the sea sailing down memory lane with the publication of his new book, "Two Voyages I Remember: A Merchant Mariner's Memoir." The two sea trips in question happened during 1966 and 1967 which Buzz recalls in a vivid and amusing recollection that captures the spirit of the turbulent times.  At every port, Buzz encountered various perspectives when it came to addressing civil rights and other relevant issues of the day. His travels aboard the MARINE CHARGER during that time makes for a "thought-provoking and entertaining journey" as he hit a variety of overseas ports including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and even the heart of the Vietnam War Zone.

The book is listed at $14.95 and can be purchased through such popular book vendors as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

MARINERS WILL MARCH IN D.C. MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
MEBA members and retirees are being invited to march in the National Washington D.C. Memorial Day Parade that takes place on May 29. The event is being organized by the National Memorial Day Parade Committee, a coalition of military, veteran and civic groups in association with the White House Commission on Remembrance.

The organizers note that the event "honors all those who have served our country in uniform from the American Revolution to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and seeks to educate American's about the sacrifices made by those who served to secure the liberties we enjoy today." The Parade begins on the National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol, a few blocks away from MEBA Headquarters. The Fourth Arm of Defense will march behind a special Merchant Marine banner and will include members and retirees from MEBA, SIU and MM&P among others. We are eager to listen to any ideas about the form of MEBA's participation in the Parade and look forward to hearing from active and retired members who want to join us. 

You can visit www.nationalmemorialdayparade.com on the web to find out more. If you are interested in participating or have any ideas you would like to be implemented then contact MEBA HQ at (202) 638-5355 or e-mail us at mebahq@d1meba.org.

NEXT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
Monday, May 8 - Boston, Seattle;
Tuesday, May 9 - Baltimore, Houston, Jacksonville, San Francisco;
Wednesday, May 10 - Calhoon School, Charleston, New Orleans, Portland;
Thursday, May 11 - Los Angeles, New York, Norfolk, Tampa;
Friday, May 12 - Honolulu.

CAA Reunion is June 30th-July 2, 2006. Plan accordingly and support the CAA!

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